1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical procedure performed via a natural opening.
2. Description of Related Art
Laparoscopic surgery is a conventionally known technique that has been employed when carrying out a medical procedure such as observation or treatment of the internal organs of the human body. Rather than making a large abdominal incision, laparoscopic surgery provides for the medical procedure to be carried out by making several openings in the abdominal wall, and inserting a laparoscope and surgical instruments such as forceps into these respective openings. This type of surgery offers the benefit of reduced stress on the patient, since only small openings are made in the abdominal wall.
As a method of even further reducing stress on the patient, it has been proposed in recent years to carry out medical procedures by inserting a flexible endoscope into the patient via a natural opening such as the mouth, nostrils or anus. One example of such a medical procedure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,131.
In this method, a flexible endoscope is inserted via the mouth of the patient. An opening is made in the stomach wall and the end portion of the endoscope is relayed out through this opening into the abdominal cavity. Then, while employing the endoscope as an observation device for the inside of the abdominal cavity, the desired medical procedure is performed within the abdominal cavity using instruments inserted through the endoscope or via another opening.